9 Emeraldplain
As the cart bounced on the poor road of the slum outskirts, the morning of the town started to take place. Circling around the packed district, witch from far away looked like a chaotic fort, like the ones monsters inhabit on tales of children around campfires. The simple carved road was not linear, as its purpose was to close up in as many rural properties as possible, and then arrive on town.
Making their way around the slum, to avoid any danger or confrontation, the cart took a longer way. Passing thru farms and crops, witch grew bigger and faster, as such, there were many people working on the fields, sowing, planting or infusing plants with energy, modification then to become more rentable and profitable. The simple farmers were dressed in simple clothes, usually long brown pants, as they mask rated any dirt that could stick to their legs as they crouched or kneeled to work, simple shirts, as it was pretty hot, and hats to stop the direct sunlight to reach their faces. The magistrates working on the fields however, used a formal, although loose and short, robe, colored green, stopping at the knees and elbow to not get unbearably hot. That clothing classified than as government workers, paying their obligatory service as magistrates, as every one who discovers their gift should apply for years of service. Not slave like, that was reserved for paying time of criminals to build roads or repair government buildings, but 30-35 hours a week of light fiscal work, such as modification plants, checking for structural mistakes and other many things that made the magistrates so important to the society.
After circulating half city to avoid the slums, they arrived at the inner city entrance, a 6 meters tall and 80 centimeters wide wooden gate of the inner wall. The gate was one of 9 entry points into the inner city, but that was the main one, the bigger and most imprecise, the others where just convenient exits or entries, as just one gate would be to much of a no cense. The gate stood open as always, as the city defenses where on the outside Wall, that gate was for a emergency, but mostly for show. They entered without any questioning or glance from the guards on the tower left side of the gate, nor the guards stationed on ground level. They where mostly there to avoid traffic jams and intimidate any crime, be it vandalism, smuggling or simple pickpocket.
Just after the gate, the road becomes a cobblestone path, 9 meters wide, with 4 paths to chose int9 the city. The most right one would go to the slums, the middle two to the downtown and the left one into the high district. No one even glanced at than as they took the left path, as the cart looked like a merchants wagon.
The first buildings on the city going thru that path where made with stone bases and structures, with the material in betwing beeing hard and impermeable wood, to stoop harsh weather and hold the buildings, as they where usually 4 to 5 floors high. The road was nicely made, with lamps and signals spaced uniformly betwing then. There where pretty sings to inns, taverns, libraries and shops, and the houses keep getting richer and larger as they approached the crown palace. On the street, servants bought on the stores for their masters, fresh ingredients where sold on clean and colorful shops, the smell of bread and spices dominated the air, masking the other odors of a city. Guards would walk the streets, talking to passers and patting backs. They looked laid back, with weapons far from reach, as they had no fear of crime on those parts, the opposite of the poor souls working at the slums.
As they traversed the road, people opened up their path, used to large wagons. The smell of morning food tempted the party, as they had none breakfast, and the freshly baked bread with many increments was placed on the streets in front of shops, shopkeepers standing behind them, smiling and offering to anyone close enough. There was no demi humans walking the street, just regular humans with fine clothes, be then fine uniforms or personal.
Even brothels where named pleasure houses, with discrete sigs and no indecent clothed woman trying to lure clients. They where even placed in alleyways and corners to not atrack the wrong attention. Taverns received the same treatment.
As they got closer to their destinations, the gardens on houses and inns became bigger and more colorful, the clothing became even more extravagant, the rich where followed by two or three servants, and most had bodyguards. That part, although the most beautiful, with statues and other increments, looked the most uninviting.
After the 75 minutes it took to traverse such distance, counting on traffic and paths to slow then down, the group felt itchy, hungry and impatient. Even the cart man was distracted, almost running over a young redhead boy and his partner, a strong man, using an armor, probably his bodyguard, although the boy carried a bow.
Finally, they arrived at their destination. As the gunslinger expected, they stopped beside an maintenance door, on the palaces wall. They couldn't see the palace itself, but the 5 meters tall wall, with white bricks and expertly crafted corners gave the wealthy look to the building. Just that side of the wall went on for more than 300 meters, a show of power and money that was. There was a guard beside the simple entrance, on a Stoll under a cloth and wood structure made to protect him from the sun. He had a flintlock rifle and a elegant rapiers, much different than the right equipment from the guards on the slums, even the ones on the rest of town. His uniform was also more incremented, with polished iron and silver details. He used a silver and gold pin on his chest, witch would be dangerous to wear on the most wild district.
The conductor opened the door of the wagon, letting then out
They immediately start to stretch and loose up, as their muscles were sore and cold after such a long ride on the cramped wagon. The trip was also punctuated by road bumps, sudden stops and many attempts of d'kajo to snich some purse or bag from the window, forcing daija to hold him still. That all, plus the missing breakfast and hangover, made the vigilant stay on a bad mood, as he whispered to the party as the guard and the wagon man talked:
" listen where, we are going to meet the people I talked about before, the ones who probably thing about us as expendable pawns, risking our lives as they drink fine wine and eat sweets. Expect some small fat man, all puny and scared. So, we will just show than that we are not to be messed with, and they should respect us. Lets give than some chills on the spine".
The guard opened the doors witch lead to some kind of storage room, a wide wooden cellar, witch had ingredients and food, probably the kitchen was close by, so it was a food storage room. Even table tools where kept on simple chests, such as plates, cups and more. They skipped right pass the two doors witch probably lead to kitchen and into the inner fort, and into a small corner door, witch jaskal could barely fit. They where guided to a small corridor, without windows and illuminated by a candle on the wagon man hand. That brought their mood even downer. The vigilant had an expression on hate and disgust on his face
How dare they treat him like that? He was cleansing the city of the scum, he knew it would happen and was prepared for it. Different than other places, he couldn't operate on emeraldplain as freely without government support. But honestly, he expected some wine, a dark and fancy inn and novelistic conversations. Been cramped into a small servant corridor was humiliating, and he was ready to lash out at whoever officer was behind some high table, he was preparing to look scary. The other could realize that he had was just the worst mood, quick glances at his face revealed a dark and sinister expression, one he didn't even showed at stalches hideout.
Some minutes pass, being illuminated by candlelight, d'kaji was felling rather disappointed, the corridor was not the problem for him, he barely noticed it, but the lack of shiny and beautiful things to wrap his claws around. But the servant tunnel had none of it, it was rather simple. Nayla was also felling down, she didn't expect the palaces from tales to be so stiff, she expected glamour and flashiness. Jaskal was just felling fat, stucking on most corners.
Their guide finally stops beside what looks like a fortified iron door, and says:
" I will notification about your arrival, if you all just wait a bit, I will come back in a seco...."
The gunslinger barges open the door, making it hit the wall after a 90 degrees turn, with a blast. The sound of the iron door hitting the stone slabs of the wall reverbed by the large room. It was rectangle shaped, 25 meters by 75, with a large walkway that leaded from the main door( the vigilant opened a side one) to the end of the room. By the to sides of the path, columns where evenly spaced. To hold the curved celling, and many other door could be seen in the dark corners, just like the one just barged into, away from the lanterns on the columns.
The flamboyant figure stops as he reaches the hallway. On split second, his mind doesn't realize who is that figure on the end of the room, and keeps calm. But, as his eyes adjust to the light, his heart punctuates. His beat immediately start to race, he stoops breathing and, for once, the vigilant hesitates. He is off guard. Even worst, he is scared. Dead scared. The only felling his mind processed was danger for a quarter second, and his hand darts toward his holster, but stoops just a few centimeters away, a 6 sense alerting him that any attempt to reach it would be a deadly mistake. He froze, and stands like that for a second more, as the figure on the end o the room adjusts position on the throne, the shadow cast by a light behind him stretches toward the gunslinger feet. That moment, the man always on control lose his mind to the bindings of terror.
